Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Poll (sort of): Will the 'acoustic piano' become a relic?

I'm pretty far removed from the digital piano world, although several friends have them (in addition to their "regular" pianos) and I happened to be in school near where Moog was doing his synthesizers in the '60's and went to some early demonstrations. Most of what I see and hear about it now is on this site, when I glance sometimes at that other section. I understand very little of what they're talking about, and in my gut I don't really consider it the same instrument that 'we' play. But I do appreciate more and more what it offers, how the technology has been advancing, and, I have to admit, the advantages over 'our' piano, although believe me I feel that what gets lost is much greater. Still, while I hope the acoustic piano will survive forever, I'd guess it won't be that long before it becomes essentially a relic. How long? I'd guess as short as 100 years -- about 3 generations of human beings, assuming the world lasts that long.
I think there's a high chance that as soon as 50 years from now, relatively few people will feel there's a reason to invest the greater money and space on acoustic pianos, and within another couple of generations after that, they will rarely be seen.

What do you think?

That would be very sad, I hope I won't live to that day if it ever happens. Digitals are vastly inferior to acoustics in almost every way possible, except convenience and portability.

It will never be a relic. Ever.

And I have 2 digital grands, 1 synth keyboard, 13 hardware synths, 2 samplers + at least 120 software synths and a 5 Tb sampler library.

In this part of the woods, the piano business is solid and growing.

Sounds like a very strong vote, coming from someone like you. I hope you're right.

BTW, why multiple digitals?
(Sorry about the stupid question, but as I said, I don't really know anything.)

I don't know that the same laws of technological change apply to musical instruments as the rest of the world. On a hypothetical level, you'd imagine that violin makers would have been able to benefit from the years and years they've had to refine their craft and further analyze various acoustical properties, yet it's the original Strads and Guarneris that fetch top dollar. There's obviously various reasons for this, but one of them may well be that instrumentalists place less value on the notion of the latest state of the art technology.

Is there really a digital piano that compares with the acoustical properties of a Steinway or Fazioli? At best, the tone would be a copy from an acoustic piano. I'd imagine pianists prefer acoustic to digital for much the same reason hardcore audiophiles would rather listen to vinyl than an mp3 which is really a copy of a copy of a copy. The mechanics of a piano is just so different than the mechanics of a digital keyboard, on a micro level anyway, I always feel like I'm playing a different instrument when I switch from one to the other.

Strads and Guarneris have been modified to bring them up to today's standards, with new necks, fingerboards and strings, among other things. The bows of the time are considered obsolete, as well. Unmodified they are less desirable.

The technology *will* get good enough to replicate harmonic resonance, woodiness etc. Um...another couple of decades and I believe we will see and hear digital pianos outstrip acoustic pianos in terms of space, cost and dare I suggest sound? However, there will always be acoustics around; just as acoustic guitars have taken a back seat but are still around. I mean...I only own a digital, but as soon as I live somewhere with a mortgage (as opposed to renting) it'll be all acoustic-y....and why? Because "real" pianos have more soul. Because wood is infinitely superior to plastic...just because! Um...I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels such...just one thing keeps me sure the piano won't be graved by the digital disease: resources. More and more wood grows every year (well, less, but you get the point ); some precious metals (which will be required for the *best* circuitry to provide the *best* sound) are pretty finite...um...mermilylumpkin; the audiophile comment is, perhaps, a tad unjustified; our ears adapt to small differences and find homes of listening...so, um, when someone used to listening to vinyl hears the minute difference in mp3 they don't *feel* the music quite as deeply, even if they're *technically* hearing a better version...of course, um, this doesn't deal with the youngsters, but that's cult followings for you I agree regarding sensitivity in touch by the way; I've many times considered stop playing my portable grand as (and thus all instruments as it is the only one I have access to), I feel, it is teaching me improper sensitivity and pedaling habits...um...I fear each note extra will unprepare me one note further from the piano

" ... will become..."? I have played some acoustic pianos that have already become 'relics.'

Cheers!

Digitals are getting pretty good. But, they don't come anywhere near filling a large space the way a concert grand does. There's only so much you can do with a pair of speakers. I don't see any way to cure this shortcoming; you need all of the heavy, earthen and organic material of a piano to replicate the full experience for your audience.

This topic comes on and off occasionally.
My first reaction is that, guessing about the future of acoustic piano and even disagreeing on our guesses is somewhat meaningless. Because non of us will live that long, and therefore any guess is as worthless as the other.

Secondly, the digital pianos, besides the piano sound, can also produce other instrument sounds, such as string, wind, percussion etc. instruments.
Now, I don't see any, and really ANY, difference between the sound being produced whether it is a wind instrument sound or a piano sound.
Would you be able to persuade a clarinetist that the clarinet sound produced by a digital piano is any close to what he is hearing when he plays his instrument?
The same, is as valid for me. In the end it is a digitally produced artificial sound.

Despite all the above, and though I find it meaningless, yet it has been requested by Mark, here is my guess:

I agree with Mark.

Even though it sucks??
("It" meaning two things: the DP, and what we're saying.)

Indeed that was a surprise ending to your post!

The kids on this forum might.

I think it could acoustics could become obsolete as far as amateur players are concerned but I'm pretty sure there will always the demand for "the real thing" from at least an elite group of professionals. That will keep at least some acoustic makers in business. After all, "they" still make harpsichords and lutes.

I hope they don't.

Personally, I hope that acoustics will evolve away from the loud beasts they are today. That would sure make them more pleasant to play for long periods :P

Mostly, the problem with digitals is that the very best ones are basically just pianos without strings. What's the point of that? You might as well put the strings and soundboard in. Hybrid pianos seem to be the way to go, if you must have a digital piano and an acoustic.

But DP's suck today. It doesn't mean they will still suck a hundred years later.
My worthless guess is that, they probably won't.

They don't suck today. I have been hunting for a digital piano the past couple of weeks, originally out of necessity. But I'm now very excited to get one, so blown away was I by how far along the technology has come even in the last year or so.

Having put my foot into the digital camp when I joined this forum in 2010, which was when I bought my first piano - a digital, I have to admit that the only reason I bought it was because it was either that or nothing: neighbors surrounding me would never tolerate me playing an acoustic. But I was quite pleasantly surprised at how good digitals (or at least the one I bought) have become, in emulating so many characteristics of the real thing. Such that ever since, I won't play on any acoustic that's out of tune or obviously decrepit, whereas before, I'd play on anything that resembled a piano, as long as it was mechanical.....

But of course, I still hanker after a Bösendorfer Imperial 290 or Fazioli F308. Or even a Yamaha CFX, or a Blüthner Model 1, or C.Bechstein D282. Even a Steinway D272 will be fine . (In my dreams......).

But with the increasing deforestation around the world as populations keep expanding exponentially, I can't see acoustics staying around forever - especially as digitals (especially of the modeled variety, like my V-Piano) keep improving. I remember when CD first appeared: how could numbers (with error correction built in) possibly give good quality sound for discerning classical listeners, compared to vinyl LP, where all the information from the master tape is in the grooves?
Well, how many of us listen to, or even own any LPs now (assuming we're old enough to know what they look like....)? I haven't played any of mine for decades, and all my favorite recordings on LP have now been duplicated on subsequent CD releases, which I've acquired.

The really odd thing is that most people now listen to music on far inferior MP3 format and YouTube recordings. The audiophiles of yesteryear would be aghast that we happily tolerate dynamic compression (such that pp becomes mf plus hiss), distortion, frequency loss etc, etc. Who's to say that even if digitals never attain the 'live' experience of playing on a fully mechanical instrument, we wouldn't switch over to them in droves simply for their convenience, their ability to stay in tune indefinitely, the fact that they need no maintenance whatsoever and can tolerate any temperature and (lack of) humidity?

If you haven't heard a modeled DP played by a classical pianist in a concert hall before, have a listen to this: http://youtu.be/w0-dC7eT_Oo
I played Schumann/Liszt's Widmung and other pieces on that digital in the Royal College of Music concert hall in London two years ago, and truly felt like I was playing on a well-regulated (and perfectly tuned) grand, such was its range of tone color, dynamics and responsiveness.

I very much doubt acoustics will ever become mere relics. Its not just a case of technology being on a par with acoustic engineering, its something 'other', something tactile! New materials replacing wood maybe (there are some high end acoustic guitars made of carbon that are used by professional players now).
So no, I dont think acoustics will ever disappear, especially in professional circles.

This is very typical of how different all of us can be.
To me, this is just what I mean, when I say it sucks. Right from the very first note.

To my ears VI Labs True Keys is the best sounding virtual piano on the market
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zBYtrClM5k

No one can say it doesn't sound better than this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8frV3I8OM4